WMO to scale up support to developing countries via partnerships

The World Meteorological Congress backed a new plan to increase and improve support to developing countries through innovative collaboration with international partners.

The congress, which groups the 193 Members of the World Meteorological Organization, decided to pursue plans to create an Alliance for Hydromet Development, scheduled to be launched in October, and set up a Country Support Initiative to give its work practical shape.

The aim is to help developing countries overcome the major capacity constraints that they face in responding to rising demands for high-quality weather, climate, and hydrological services. The need for such services is growing hand in hand with the challenges of climate change and adverse weather events.

These challenges call for a stronger collaboration between WMO and international development partners such as the Green Climate Fund and multilateral development banks.

Addressing the congress, Cabo Verde’s minister of agriculture and environment, Gilberto Silva, underlined that his island nation faces a mix of drought, torrential rain, soil degradation and water salinization.

“The extreme events show the fragility of the country, and negatively affected its economic growth,” he said. “If the country’s contribution to climate change was small, the reality is that it pays a heavy price.”

Reinforcing hydrological and meteorological services is vital for Cabo Verde and other developing countries, said Mr. Silva.

“We need to develop an integrated early warning system so we can better face these extreme events, with better-coordinated support from development partners,” he said.

There is growing momentum from institutions such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the Green Climate Fund to strengthen hydrological and meteorological services.

Today, the World Bank and the Green Climate Fund are already investing more than US$2 billion on hydrological and meteorological development, with a rapidly growing trajectory.

The Alliance for Hydromet Development will be guided by principles of collaboration, including the strengthening of inter-connected global, regional and national operational systems.

“There is a large number of our Members that really need assistance,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas, adding that “through the Country Support Initiative, WMO will increase its impact through technical advisory services to these Members and their international partners.”

Laura Tuck, the World Bank’s vice-president for sustainable development, said that it was important to seize opportunities to join forces with partners working for the same ends. Through its recently announced Action Plan on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience, the bank committed to provide additional support to at least 30 countries for higher quality forecasts, early warning systems and climate information. More than 250 million people are expected to benefit.

Original source: WMO
Published on 13 June 2019